The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth and demands for highly integrated semiconductor devices are increasing. However, the steps taken to meet these demands have increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing semiconductor devices for integrated circuits (ICs) and, for these demands to be met, similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing are needed.
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, such as motion sensors, pressure sensors, microphones, accelerometers, and gyroscopes, have found use in many electronic devices. For example, motion sensors, accelerometers, and/or microphones are commonly used in tablet computers, laptop computers, or smartphones. For many applications, MEMS devices are coupled to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) to form MEMS packages.
In the foregoing MEMS package, a movable element of the MEMS device is prone to vertical stiction, due to the close proximity of a movable element to a flat surface of the ASIC. Oxide stoppers are typically placed in the MEMS device to prevent the movable element from overextending in the vertical direction. These stoppers typically have a small contact area with the movable element, thereby stopping or mitigating stiction during a shock event in the fabrication or operation of the MEMS package.
Although existing stoppers have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in all respects.